No Need for Crystal Shoes
by mickeylover303
Summary: Of nail polish, ice cream, and that unrequited thing called love. AU. One-sided SasukeSakura, NarutoSasuke.


_Another instance when I shouldn't be writing, but this story wouldn't let me go. Even though I really like the idea of Sakura and Sasuke as friends, brought together by a not so fun common interest, I don't have an excuse for this. It just is. I'll be okay to go with that for now._

_Also, a heads-up on some things. Heaven's Flower (The Legend of Arcana) is a mystery/romance jdrama. Vivi and Non-no are Japanese fashion magazines geared towards young women; likewise Hanako is for young men. And AKB48 is an all-female theatre/idol group._

...

**No Need for Crystal Shoes**

Sakura stretches her legs on the carpet and wriggles the toes kept apart by a stiff separator placed in between them. She marvels at the pretty shade of fuchsia that looks even prettier outside of the bottle. "Think I should add another coat? Or just go ahead with the gloss? You're only supposed to need one coat, but…"

Slowly, Sasuke turns his head to her. "You're asking my opinion—about nail polish?"

"Why not?"

"Do I look like my brother to you?"

"Honestly, yes, but your brother isn't the one moping around his apartment on a Friday night," Sakura says. "Watching _Heaven's Flower_ with his roommate."

"…just put the damn coat of gloss on."

Sakura smiles, tilts her head to one side. "See, that wasn't so hard now, was it?"

"Tch." Sasuke takes a sip from his can of beer, smirks at her from the corner of his eye. "You realise that makes you the roommate then."

Sakura opens her mouth to disagree, closes it and puffs her cheeks. They deflate with the release of a heavy sigh, and she lets her shoulders sag. "Twenty years old and I still have no love life. How cruel of you to remind me."

Sasuke sets his beer on the coffee table, next to the carton of azuki ice cream closer to Sakura. "At least one of us is doing something."

"Who's doing—oh, Naruto you mean." Sakura frowns then tugs on the thin strap of her yellow tank top, adjusts it over her shoulder. "His date with Hinata tonight, he was talking about it earlier today."

"It's the only thing that idiot's been talking about since Monday."

"It took Naruto long enough to notice how much Hinata liked him. Everybody else already knew she'd accept if he ever asked her out, but who'd think he'd actually make a move, right?"

Sasuke snorts. "I was the first person he told."

"Still, that's…that's good for him." Sakura extends her arm, dips a spoon into the carton of ice cream. She pulls out the spoon and stuffs the ice cream into her mouth. "Naruto and Hinata—they look cute together. Really cute. And he seems happy, so…"

"…yeah."

"Did you ever tell Naruto about…?"

Sasuke picks up his beer again. There's no sound of liquid sloshing inside, but he manages to make it look like the can's only half-empty when he downs what little is left.

Sakura licks the traces of ice cream smeared over her top lip and doesn't ask Sasuke if he wants another beer.

"…you know—"

"No, I don't want to know."

"—since we already have the ice cream," Sakura says, drawing out a mischievous grin that shouldn't suit her, "we could have some fun and make this a real girls' night out. It wouldn't take much. I still have some issues of Vivi and Non-no I haven't gone through yet. We could go through your Hanako issues, too, if that'll make you feel better. Oh, I bought AKB48's new single, yesterday, and I heard it's—"

"Call Ino or something," Sasuke sneers. "Do that kind of shit with her."

"I can't ask Ino to break her date for something she doesn't need. And besides, you're already here."

"Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I'm a girl."

"Actually, there was that one time—"

Sasuke shoots her a glare.

"Right," Sakura says, covering her mouth to hide a smile, "being gay doesn't mean you're a girl. I know."

Sasuke sighs. The empty beer can goes back on the table, and he turns his attention to the drama on the screen.

After a moment, when the voices from the TV settle into the room, Sakura says, "It's not too late. To tell Naruto, that is. You may even—well, I felt better after telling you my feelings towards you. And even though you know I like you, our relationship is still kind of the same. Or maybe better. So who says it has to change anything between you guys at all? At least if you tell Naruto, that way you'll—"

"Except I'm not Naruto, and you're not…"

Crossing her legs, Sakura reaches for the ice cream on the table and places the carton in her lap. The bottom is cold on top of teal cotton shorts, seeps through to her skin. Her spoon pierces the centre of the soft mound and sticks upright.

She leans against Sasuke, tries to make herself comfortable when an arm wraps around her. Releasing the spoon from its confines, she points the pinkish, soppy mess towards Sasuke's chin. "Sure you don't want any?"

Sasuke grunts and shakes his head, lets it fall on top of hers.

The underside of the spoon glides against the roof of Sakura's mouth. She sniffs, lets the red bean ice cream melt on her tongue, and slowly pulls the spoon out.

"…it's good."


End file.
